Ideas for Action

Toward a Better Brookline

Brookline has the potential to be a community in which every neighbor has the supports and opportunities needed to thrive. While many impressive efforts are underway to address poverty in Brookline, there is more we can do. The following recommendations draw on BCF’s research and interviews with town leaders and nonprofit staff.

Expand summer food resources for children who participate in free and reduced-cost meal programs during the school year.

Address barriers to emergency assistance, including language, transportation and stigma.

Develop a one-stop approach to needs assessment and program enrollment.

Assist eligible residents to enroll in state and federal assistance programs.

Raise awareness about local programs that reduce financial hardship.

Recommendation 2: Create more pathways out of poverty.

Expand adult education, job training and job readiness programming.

Develop more programs that empower low-income residents to reach personal and financial goals.

Increase wraparound case management services, so residents can access the range of supports they need.

Focus on educational equity from an early age, with quality programs that improve the long-term prospects of all Brookline children.

Recommendation 3: Tackle systemic barriers to economic sufficiency.

Invest in significant expansion of affordable housing.

Ensure that all residents have access to affordable mental and physical healthcare.

Ensure all individuals and families can access healthy, affordable food.

Foster public dialogue and take action to address discrimination that limits opportunities for individuals based on gender, race, socioeconomic background, disability, age, sexual orientation and other factors.

Help Move Brookline Forward

BCF’s three-year Brookline Forward campaign is deepening our impact in areas of pressing need, including local efforts to reduce and alleviate local poverty.

A gift to Brookline Forward will:

provide critical assistance to neighbors in need

create new pathways out of poverty

expand quality programming for youth beyond school hours

Learn more

To see more research like this, please download our two Understanding Brookline reports.